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Care workers to support homosexuality

Care workers must support homosexuality, homes have been told. They should check that new staff have a positive attitude towards homosexuality before they are taken on, inspectors say.

This will discriminate against Christians. Believers can believe in the dignity of all people including homosexuals. Their faith dictates they must have a positive attitude to homosexuals. But many Christians would insist that to have a positive attitude to homosexuality breaches their conscience and freedom of religion.

Inspectors also want care homes to stop referring to husbands and wives. ‘Neutral’ words such as partner should be used instead.

If I were in a care home and received such treatment I would find this deeply offensive. I had partners before I was married. My wife is not my partner, she is my wife, I am bound to her by covenant and promise. It is not some pretend marriage like a Civil Partnership, my marriage included promises of faithfulness, being an exclusive relationship.

The advice has been issued by the Commission for Social Care and Inspection (CSCI), the body responsible for scrutinising care homes. Their document draws heavily on the experiences of a small sample of 92 homosexuals in care homes who responded to a survey.

The advice says that employers should ensure that “all new staff have positive attitudes towards LGB [lesbian, gay or bisexual] people.”

It continues: “An assessment of the attitudes of staff around equality issues, including equality for LGB people, should be part of the recruitment and selection process.”

Christian care workers who feel unable to be positive about homosexuality could be withdrawn from certain roles, though they should not be able to opt out themselves, the guidance suggests.

“There may be circumstances where ‘matching’ staff to particular types of assistance for LGB service users would be beneficial to the person using the service.”

It reminds me when Sunday trading was first introduced when I was a pastor in Scotland. Similar things were said then. A member of my church was told that if she did not agree to certain things she would not lose her job but she would never be promoted or progress in the company. I expect a similar outcome if these guidelines are followed.